The Best Recipe for Cherry Clafouti Ever

Cherry Clafoutis à la Bonne Femme. Straight from the oven!

I know–it’s quite bold of me to say that my French cherry clafouti recipe is the best recipe for clafouti—there are plenty of great ones out there. But I’ve hit upon some secrets to making your clafouti better than ever. So if you’ve ever been underwhelmed by clafouti, try my recipe. Hint: It’s not just about the clafouti recipe itself. There are tricks. Read on!

Clafouti is a wonderfully home-style recipe that surrounds beautiful summer fruit with luscious golden custard. As one of my recipe tester for The Bonne Femme Cookbooksaid, “it brings those sweet, rich qualities you love in egg specialties like French toast, crèpes, and crème brûlée—but with the bonus of fresh summer fruits.”

And yet….sometimes when I order a cherry clafouti—even in France—I’m underwhelmed by rubbery custard, not enough fruit, and the sense of monotony that sets in after the first few bites.

My strategies for solving all that:• Get the right ratio: Follow my recipe, and you’ll have just the right amount of sweet fruit to rich custard.• Do. Not. Overbake.: Seriously–get that clafouti out of the oven the minute it’s done. Check it at 35 minutes. The sides should be set, but if the middle still jiggles, that’s okay.• Serve with some spiked whipped cream. The light and airy whipped cream beautifully contrasts the rich, dense custard. And that tipple of cherry brandy in the whipped cream echoes the flavors of the clafouti. There’s also that delightful warm /cool (clafouti/whipped cream) effect happening, too.• Serve clafouti ever-so-slightly warm: The Clafouti will be at its best about an hour after it comes out of the oven. Time accordingly. Refrigerate leftovers. Cold clafouti is amazing, but really, just-baked, slightly warm clafouti has the edge.

2. Spread the cherries in the baking dish. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, kirsch, and salt on medium speed until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour, milk, and cream until combined. Pour the batter over the cherries.

3. Bake until a thin knife inserted near the center of the clafouti comes out nearly clean (a few crumbs are fine) and the top is a deep golden color, about 35 to 40 minutes. If the top is brown before the custard is done, loosely cover with a sheet of foil. Place on a wire rack to cool, but serve warm. Just before serving, dust the top of the clafouti with confectioners’ sugar. Slice into wedges and serve with Spiked and Sweetened Whipped Cream.

Note: Never worry about a clafouti that sinks in the middle…It probably will, and it’s a badge of honor that you’ve made a beautiful true-to-France homemade dessert.

It was fantastic – I might have cooked it a little too long – my oven runs hot. I think the fresh eggs from our hens adds a richness too – thanks for reminding me to make it! I suppose five pounds is not the end of the world and it sounds like you have been having a lovely summer.

This stuff is fantastic for breakfast. Really, the only difference between this and a fruit pastry is less flour, less sugar, and more fruit. I easily like this as well cold as fresh out of the oven – it allows the custard to set. Thanks, Wini, for another new favorite.